A Wee Spot Of Trouble
by J. B. Tilton
Summary: The discovery of a small chest of ancient gold coins in the cellar causes unforeseen problems for the Charmed Ones. And has Piper and Phoebe reliving a portion of their lives they'd rather forget.
1. Default Chapter

CHARMED "A Wee Spot Of Trouble"  
by J. B. Tilton email: G

Disclaimer: "Charmed" and all related characters and events are the property of the WB television network, except for those characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.

(Authors note: This story takes place between the episodes "Muse To My Ears" and "A Paige From The Past".

Please note: This story was actually written before episode 5-17 "Lucky Charmed". However, since I am loathe to get rid of any story I write I've decided to go ahead and post it. I hope you enjoy it.)

The discovery of a small chest of ancient gold coins in the cellar causes unforeseen problems for the Charmed Ones. And has Piper and Phoebe reliving a portion of their lives they'd rather forget.

ONE

Cole and Phoebe were enjoying a leisurely evening at the manor. The muses were all returned to their proper places and the warlock was no longer a threat to anyone. It had been a grueling encounter and they were glad for the respite.

Leo and Piper were spending the evening out. It had been a while since they had been able to get away, just the two of them. Phoebe was glad they were able to finally enjoy some "down time".

Paige seemed to be on some sort of kick. She had discovered how disorganized the cellar was. For some strange reason, she had insisted on organizing it. She was down there right now moving things about.

"You think she'll do any good?" Cole asked Phoebe.

"Probably not," said Phoebe. "We don't go down there much. Especially after our little encounter with the Woogie. Besides, there isn't much down there that we really use, anyway. I don't think we've really spent much time down there since grams died."

"Well, maybe it could use a good cleaning," said Cole, smiling at her.

"Probably," said Phoebe. "I just don't know why Paige suddenly got on a kick to clean it. If I didn't know better, I'd swear she was under a spell."

"Oh, right," said Cole. "Some warlock or demon decides that the best way to destroy the Charmed Ones is to have them clean their house. Gee, that is so simple. Good thing I didn't think of it when I was still Belthazor."

"You," said Phoebe, punching him in the arm.

Cole just laughed.

Just then Paige came up from the cellar covered in dirt. She walked toward the stairs heading for her room and a shower.

"Hey, sweetie," yelled Phoebe, "making any headway?"

"Some," said Paige. "Thought I'd take a break and make a couple of phone calls. I have that case I was telling you about that I'd like to see if we can get resolved."

"Oh, right," said Phoebe. "I had forgotten about that."

"What case?" asked Cole.

"A young girl whose mother died," said Paige, stopping at the entrance to the living room for a moment. "The girl is about five and her mother was unmarried. She became a ward of the state and was about to be put up for adoption when a woman came in claiming to be her grandmother. On her fathers side. Said she wanted to take the little girl."

"So what's the problem?" asked Cole. "Seems pretty straight forward to me. Better the girl go live with relatives than strangers."

"That's just it," said Paige. "There's nothing to prove the woman is the girls grandmother. She doesn't have a birth certificate and the records hall where the records were kept burned down about three years ago. The hospital has misplaced her records and there's no way to prove who her father was."

"I still don't see a problem," said Cole.

"Judge Harrison Carter," said Paige, exasperatedly.

"By the book Carter?" asked Cole. "Oh, I see what you mean."

"What?" asked Phoebe. "I don't understand."

"Judge Carter goes strictly by the book," explained Paige. "Right down to the letter of the law. He's not very flexible in most cases. And he's been assigned the little girl's case."

"The problem is," continued Cole, "is that the law says that any blood relatives have to provide certified documentation of their relationship. Which means a birth certificate or sworn affidavit from a parent or something like that."

"Right," said Paige. "As far as anyone can tell, this woman is the girl's only living relative. And her mother never told any of her friends around here who the father was. We were hoping it would be on the birth certificate. That would mean the woman is the girls grandmother and Judge Carter can grant her custody. If not, he won't. So I'm making some calls seeing if I can track down anyone who knew the girl or her mother or anything that might establish who the father was."

"Good luck." said Phoebe.

"Thanks," said Paige. "Now, I think I need a shower. I'll get back to the cellar this afternoon."

"No rush, honey," said Phoebe. "It's not going anywhere."

Paige just smiled then went up to take a shower. Cole and Phoebe settled back onto the couch to enjoy a lazy afternoon. 


	2. Chapter 2

TWO

Paige was back in the cellar by the time Leo and Piper orbed back to the manor. Piper seemed more relaxed than she had been when they had left. Apparently their day on the town had taken a lot of the tension out of her that had built up over the past few weeks. She and Leo were joking and laughing as they orbed in. They had no sooner arrived at the manor than Darryl showed up. 

"Hey, Darryl," said Piper, answering the door, "to what do we owe the honor of this visit?"

"Just thought I'd stop by and say hi," said Darryl. "I'm investigating a series of arsons in the city and had to interview a witness not far from here. Figured as long as I was in the neighborhood, I'd stop by and say hi."

"Well, we're glad you did," said Phoebe. "Usually when you stop by it's because of trouble."

"Don't remind me," said Darryl. "It's kind of nice to stop by just to say hi. Besides, I needed a break. There have been seven arsons so far and the arson squad is sure it's the work of the same person. Only we don't seem to have any tangible clues in the case. It's beginning to look like we're never going to solve this case."

"You don't have any clues at all?" asked Leo. "That's kind of unusual, isn't it?"

"Oh, we have clues," said Darryl. "Just none of them seem to add up. We can't even find a pattern to why those particular places were selected. If we could discover that maybe we could get a handle on this."

"Want us to give you a hand?" asked Phoebe. "Maybe we could scry for the arsonist or something. "

"No," said Darryl suddenly, "no, no magic. Every time you use magic things always seem to go wrong. And I'm usually caught in the middle of it. I'll figure this thing out on my own, thank you."

"Okay," said Phoebe, "just offering."

"I appreciate the offer," said Darryl, "really I do. I just don't think I should use magic to solve my cases."

"I agree," said Piper. "Magic is for fighting demons."

"Okay, okay," said Phoebe. "Sheesh, don't get all bent out of shape. I was just trying to help."

"We know, sweetie," said Piper.

"Well," said Darryl, "I'd better get going. I still have a ton of paperwork to fill out."

"Glad you stopped by," said Leo. "Why not come by for dinner some night. No demons, no magic, just one of Piper's fabulous meals."

"That's a good idea," said Piper. "I don't think we've ever had you over to dinner."

"I just might," said Darryl. "I'll give you a call."

"You do that," said Piper. "We'll set up a night to do it when we can all be here."

Darryl left and Piper went into the kitchen to begin dinner. Phoebe and Cole sat on the sofa as they had for most of the afternoon. Suddenly Paige kicked the door to the cellar open and came stumbling out carrying a small metal chest. Cole jumped up from the sofa and hurriedly took the chest from her since it was apparent she was about to drop it.

"Thanks," said Paige, rubbing her arm. "It didn't seem that heavy when I started up the stairs with it."

"What is this? Asked Cole. "It feels like it's filled with gold bars."

"I don't know," said Paige. "I found it buried on a back shelf in the cellar. I thought maybe Piper or Phoebe knew what it was."

"Never saw it before," said Phoebe, looking at the chest.

"Well," said Cole, straining under the weight, "let's find some place to put it down. This thing weighs a ton."

"Kitchen," said Phoebe. "Piper might know what it is."

"I have no idea," said Piper, looking the chest over.

It wasn't very big. Only about a foot wide, a foot deep, and two feet long. There was a small latch on the front of it that appeared to be partially rusted shut. It seemed to be made of iron. The five stood looking at it sitting on the countertop.

"Maybe it belonged to grams," said Leo. "You guys don't spend very much time down there. Maybe it's something she put down there. This was her house for quite a number of years, after all."

"That makes sense," said Piper. "Any idea what's inside this thing?"

"I don't know," said Cole, "but I'm surprised Paige was able to carry it up here. It was all I could do to carry it in here."

"There's one way to find out," suggested Phoebe. "Let's open it. If it's in the house I say it belongs to us now."

"Okay," said Piper. "Leo, honey, get me a hammer will you?"

Leo went to his toolbox under one of the cabinets. He got his hammer out and walked over and handed it to Piper. Piper took the hammer and swung at the latch. She hit it forcefully and the hammer just bounced off the latch. She hit it again with the same results.

"That's strange," she said. "It's not even scratched. It should have broken considering all the rust on it."

"Here, let me try," said Cole taking the hammer. "Even as a mortal I still possess a portion of my former demonic strength. Watch your eyes."

Everyone turned their head as Cole struck at the latch with all his strength. As with Piper, the hammer simply glanced off the latch, not even leaving a mark. He struck it a couple of more times with no better results.

"Okay, that's different," said Paige. "Maybe it's enchanted. If it belonged to grams, maybe she hexed it to protect it."

"If that's the case," said Piper, "no physical force will harm it. Any other ideas about getting it open?"

"I have one," said Phoebe.

Phoebe reached down and took the latch in her fingers. With less trouble than it took to think about it, she flipped the latch open.

"I'll be," said Cole. "Maybe your grandmother enchanted it so one of your could open it."

"Or the charm might just protect it from harm," said Phoebe. "It didn't appear to be locked so I figured maybe I could open it."

"It seems you were right, honey," said Piper. "Go on. Open the lid. Let's see what grams was hiding in the cellar all these years."

Phoebe took hold of the lid and pulled it open. As with the latch, it silently swung up to reveal the chests' contents. Everyone just stared at the inside of the chest.

"I was only kidding when I said it felt like it was filled with gold," said Cole.

Staring down into the chest, the five people saw that it was filled to capacity. Filled with strange gold coins. 


	3. Chapter 3

THREE

"What do you think they are?" asked Phoebe taking out one of the coins and looking at it. "They appear to be real gold."

"They are," said Cole. "I recognize them. When I was a district attorney we once had a case that involved the theft of some rare ancient coins. These look remarkably similar although I'm not sure exactly where they come from."

"Well this is a Celtic cross," said Paige pointing out a cross inscribed in the rough round coin. "They appear to be hand made. See, they aren't perfectly round. Each one is slightly different as if they were made by hand. I'm not sure what this language is, though."

"I think it's Gaelic," said Leo.

"Gaelic?" questioned Piper.

"Yes," said Leo, "the native language of Ireland. I served with an Irishman during the war. I recognize some of the characters although I can't read the language."

"I thought they spoke English in Ireland?" asked Phoebe.

"They do," said Leo. "But like a lot of countries, they have a native language of their own. In Ireland they speak Gaelic."

"Okay," said Piper. "So why does grams have a chest full of ancient Irish gold coins hidden in the basement? I mean just the amount of gold in here alone must make it worth thousands of dollars."

"Probably hundreds of thousands," said Cole. "And it's possible that these particular coins could be worth even more than that. Some coins are worth a great deal of money because of their rarity or historical value."

Suddenly the front door bell rang.

"I'll get it," said Phoebe, jumping up from her chair.

As the others continued to talk about the chest of gold coins, Phoebe answered the front door. She was surprised to find a man, about fifty years old, wearing a dark green suit, square lensed glasses, and a small beard only on his chin. But the most surprising thing was that the man stood only about two feet tall.

"Can I help you?" asked Phoebe.

"Sure and you can, darlin'," said the man with a thick Irish brogue. "Me name is Patrick O'Shaughnessy, of the Dublin O'Shaughnessy's. I'm here to complete our transaction, then I'll be on me way."

"Transaction?" asked Phoebe.

"Certainly," said the man, pushing his way into the manor. He stepped into the living room and turned to face Phoebe. "And I must say, it's about time. I was beginning to think we never would clear this matter up."

"Phoebe who's at the . . . door?" asked Piper, coming out of the kitchen followed by Leo. "Who's this?"

"Me name is Patrick O'Shaughnessy," said the man again, "of the Dublin O'Shaughnessy's. Just as I told the lovely lass at the door, I'm here about our transaction. It really is time we be completin' it so I can be about me business."

"What transaction?" asked Piper.

"I have no idea," said Phoebe. "He just said something about a transaction and barged right in."

"Now, and don't ya' think it's been long enough?" asked Patrick. "Now that everything is out in the open, so to speak, we can conclude our business."

"What's going on?" asked Paige, coming out of the kitchen followed by Cole.

"Who are you?" Cole asked Patrick.

"Darlin'," said Patrick, looking at Phoebe, "would there be anyone else in the house at the moment? It's become a bit tedious reintroducing meself every two minutes."

"No," said Phoebe, "no, that's everyone."

"Good," said the man, taking a pipe out of his coat and puffing on it. As if by magic, the pipe seemed to light itself. "As I was saying, me name is Patrick O'Shaughnessy, of the Dublin O'Shaughnessy's. I'm here about our transaction so I can be about me business."

"What transaction?" asked Paige. "What's he talking about?"

"I haven't the foggiest idea," said Piper. "Listen, whoever you are..."

"Patrick," repeated Patrick. "Patrick O'Shaughnessy, of the Dublin O'Shaughnessy's."

"Yeah, whatever," said Piper. "I don't know who you are what sort of transaction you think we have, but you obviously have the wrong house. And I'll thank you to put that out in here. There's no smoking in this house."

"Aye, 'tis a sad state of affairs when a man can't enjoy the simple pleasure of a good pipe," said Patrick, simply putting the pipe into coat without extinguishing it. "As for our transaction, I do have the right house. Now, if you'll just be telling me what you want, I'll take care of it for you, collect me gold, and be about me business."

At the mention of the gold, everyone became acutely attentive. They had only found it five minutes ago. Now this man had barged into the manor claiming it was his. And that he wanted it back.

"You want the gold back?" asked Cole. "You're Irish, aren't you?"

"Sure and what gave me away?" asked Patrick, more than a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Certainly I'm Irish. And a grander people there never were. Now, about our transaction."

"Wait a minute," said Piper. "I want to know just what the heck is going on here. We find this chest of gold in the basement and less than five minutes later you show up claiming it's yours. If you're some kind of demon, you're the strangest demon I've ever seen."

"Demon?" said Patrick. He began to laugh. "I'm no demon, colleen. Which is more than I can say for the tall fellow over there. At least, he used to be a demon. It would appear he's not any more. Interestin' turn of events. Can't say as I've ever known that to happen."

"My name isn't Colleen," said Piper. "It's Piper."

"Well now," said Patrick, "colleen isn't used as a name in that sense. It's more of a term. Like the Scottish using lassy or the Australians using sheila. Or you Americans using missy. No offense is intended, I can assure you."

"He's no demon," said Cole.

"He's not?" asked Leo.

"No, Leo, he's not," said Cole. "Think about it for a minute. Two feet tall, Irish, wants his gold back."

"Oh," said Leo after a moments thought. There was a note of recognition in his voice. "No, he's no demon."

"If he's not a demon, what is he?" demanded Piper.

"Patrick," said Leo, "I think you'd better tell them who you are."

"I've only introduced meself three times," said Patrick. "Are ya' all daft?"

"No," said Cole, "a full introduction. The girls don't know who; or what; you are."

"Ah, I see," said Patrick. "Now I'm beginning to understand. You weren't expectin' me then?"

"No, we weren't," said Piper. "And if I don't get some answers soon, demon or no demon I'm going to . . ."

"Simmer down, lass," said Patrick. "There's no call for all the theatrics. Allow me to introduce meself properly. As I said, me name is Patrick O'Shaughnessy, of the Dublin O'Shaughnessy's."

He paused for a moment.

"And I'm a Leprechaun." 


	4. Chapter 4

FOUR

"A Leprechaun?" questioned Paige. "Wait a minute. I thought Leprechauns' wore pointy shoes and brightly colored clothes and those funky top hat things."

"Yeah," said Phoebe. "And aren't you supposed to carry your gold in a pot?"

"Ah, yes, the attire," said Patrick. "We changed that about a hundred years ago, don't ya' know? We decided to be a bit more contemporary in the way we dress. As for me gold, it kept fallin' out of the pot. Making a mess all over everywhere. The chest is much easier to transport and the gold stays inside where it belongs."

"So what is this gold doing in my house?" demanded Piper.

"Well now," said Patrick, "it wasn't your house when it was put into the cellar. It belonged to your grandmother, may God rest her soul. I hid it out back in one of the bushes and she found it. She put it into the cellar for safe keepin' until she had made a decision. Unfortunately, her untimely death changed all that."

"Changed all what?" asked Piper. "And what does this have to do with this transaction you keep speaking about?"

"Don't ya' know anything about Leprechauns?" asked Patrick. "Whoever finds me gold gets one wish. I have to grant that wish, within the limits of me power, of course. Then I get to reclaim me gold and be on me way.

"Unfortunately, your grandmother died before making her wish. I was left in a type of limbo, ya' might say. I couldn't reclaim me gold because I never granted the wish. So, I had to wait until someone else found the gold so I could grant their wish.

"You three found me gold. At that point possession, as it were, of me gold transferred to you. And the wishes as well. Once you make your wishes everything will be back to normal."

"Wait a minute," Piper said. "Why would you be putting your gold in gram's yard? With her power I doubt she would have had need of a Leprechaun."

"Now and you've learned me secret," Patrick said. "I made a wee bit of a mistake, don't you know? I meant to put me gold in another yard but mistook this one for the one I was looking for. By the time I had discovered me mistake, your grandmother had already found it. So she had to make a wish before I could rectify me mistake. Only as I said, she died before she could make her wish."

"So we get a wish?" asked Paige. "Cool."

"Actually," said Patrick, "you each get a wish. Since you were all present when you opened the chest, technically you all found it. And if I hadn't used me power to 'suggest' that you clean the cellar I'd still be waiting for you to find it. I was beginning to think you'd never go down there any time this century."

"Wait a minute," said Paige, "you cast a spell on me? To make me clean the cellar so I'd find the gold?"

"Not cast a spell, exactly," said Patrick. "I don't have that kind of magic. I just implanted a suggestion. You were always free to ignore it. I'm not allowed to alter a person's free will. That's one of the rules."

"A wish?" said Piper nearly hysterical. "You want to grant us a wish? That's not going to happen. Not after what happened last time."

"No," said Phoebe, "no, no, no. No more wishes. Been there. Done that. Not going to happen again, thank you very much."

"Are ya' tellin' me," said Patrick, "that you've been visited by a Leprechaun before?"

"No," said Leo. "A genie."

"Oh, that explains it," said Patrick. "The Djinn can be a bothersome lot. Always twisting you're words and convoluting your meanings. Makin' your wishes come out in the worst possible way. That's not going to happen here, lass. We Leprechauns do everything we can to make sure your wish comes out as close to what you want as possible."

"Forget it," said Piper. "No wishes. Just take your gold and get out of my house. I don't want your gold, your wishes, or you. Just take it and leave."

"I'm afraid that's not allowed," said Patrick. "I can't leave until you make a wish."

"Listen you reject from Munchkin Land," said Piper, her anger in full force, "I said no wishes. Not now, not ever. Just take your gold and get out. That's all I want."

"As I said," said Patrick, "I can't do that. Even if I wanted to, it's not possible."

"Why is that?" demanded Piper.

"Come on," said Patrick, heading for the kitchen. "I'll show you."

They followed Patrick into the kitchen where he took a seat at the table. Everyone gathered around to see what he had to show them.

"Put me chest of gold on the table in front of me," said Patrick.

Cole lifted the chest off the countertop and sat it on the table in front of Patrick. He smiled at them, and then reached up with both hands. He looked at them, and then reached for the chest. As if its own accord, the chest slid across the table to the other side away from Patrick.

"As you can see," said Patrick, "I can't reclaim me gold until I grant your wishes. It is physically impossible for me to even touch it. So just tell me what your wishes are so I can grant them, then I'll be on me way."

"I said no wishes," screamed Piper. "Are you deaf you myopic little dwarf? Take your gold and get out of my house. And I mean now."

"Piper please," started Leo.

"No, Leo," said Piper. "My mind's made up. He's just going to take his gold and move on. I'm going upstairs for a few minutes. When I come down I want him gone. No more discussion."

Without another word, Piper turned and stormed out of the kitchen heading for the stairs. Leo looked around at the rest of the group uncomfortably.

"A bit of a fiery one, isn't she?" asked Patrick.

"You have no idea," said Leo. "I'm going to go talk to her. Maybe get her to listen to reason."

Leo left the kitchen and followed his wife upstairs.

"So you say each of us gets a wish?" asked Phoebe.

"Each of the sisters," said Patrick. "That young lad upstairs, I'm afraid he's not entitled. Whitelighters are not eligible for wishes. Only humans are eligible to receive me wishes."

"What about Cole?" asked Phoebe. "He's human and he was with us when we opened the chest."

"Well that's a bit of a dilemma," said Patrick. "While his demonic half may have been vanquished, he is still half demon. It's the way he was born. It's what he is, powers or no. And I'm afraid I'm forbidden from granting wishes to a demon, even one that's been stripped of his powers."

"Just my luck," said Cole, smiling.

"Listen," said Patrick to Phoebe, "I can understand why you might be a bit skittish what with dealing with the Djinn and all. But I can assure you me wishes are completely above board and honest. I swear on me mother's heart."

"You don't have a mother," said Cole.

"Sure and you'd be right about that," said Patrick. "I just thought it might make the lass a bit more comfortable. But me word is still good. Me wishes will not be twisted or convoluted in the least. You have me word on that."

"I don't know," said Phoebe. "The last time we had a lot of trouble with wishes. I'm not sure I'm comfortable getting another one."

"You be more comfortable than your older sister," said Patrick.

"How do you know so much about us?" asked Paige.

"It's me magic," said Patrick. "It gives me necessary information about the recipients so that I can better grant their wishes. For instance, I know that you're sisters. And you must be witches if you have a Whitelighter in the house. And it tells me also that this strapping young man is, or at least was a demon. And a right powerful one at that."

"I used to be called Belthazor," said Cole. "But I'm good now. And no more demon in me."

"Sure and now this is a rare privilege," said Patrick. "Even in Ireland we know of the powerful Belthazor. But I had heard he was dead. I suppose, though, in a way, he is."

"Yeah," said Phoebe. "Thank goodness. Still, I'm going to have to think about this for a while. Before I decide if I want to be part of it."

"Take your time, darlin'," said Patrick. "Until your sister changes her mind, it doesn't make much of a difference. Now, I think I'll go have a wee bit of a chat with your sister. I'm sure that husband of hers is not having much luck changing her mind."

He smiled at the others then got out of his chair and headed for the stairs to the second floor. 


	5. Chapter 5

FIVE

Leo stepped into the bedroom that he and Piper shared.

"I don't want to hear it," said Piper, not turning around.

"Piper, be reasonable," pleaded Leo.

"I don't have to be," said Piper, turning to face him. "It's just like the last time. We make a wish and suddenly we're fighting for our lives. Or the life of someone close to us. No, Leo, I won't be reasonable. We aren't going through that again. No wishes. Just give him his gold and get him out of here."

"He can't," said Leo, "you saw that. It doesn't work that way. And Leprechauns aren't like genies. They're basically creatures of good. They try to help."

"All of them?" asked Piper. "You mean to tell me there are no evil Leprechauns?"

"No, I'm not," said Leo. "Like witches, there are those who are bad. But those are the rare exceptions. If Patrick was an evil Leprechaun, he wouldn't have waited four years."

"It doesn't matter," said Piper. "We can't take that chance. What if this is one of the evil Leprechauns? He can do a lot of damage with his wishes. You've seen that first hand. Damage we might not be able to fix this time."

"Will you at least hold off kicking him out until I can see if I can find out what kind of Leprechaun he is?" asked Leo. "He has waited four years. An hour or so more can't make much of a difference. Will you at least give me that time?"

Piper thought for a moment. So far, Patrick hadn't tried anything. Except to convince them to make their wishes. Maybe he couldn't do anything until they did make the wishes. If what they had learned so far were true, that would make sense.

"Okay," said Piper. "I'll give you one hour. Then he goes. No more arguing."

"Fine," said Leo. "I'll see what I can find out about Patrick. Most of them have been around a long time. I should be able to find out something about him."

Leo orbed out of the bedroom. Piper was considering if she should join the others in the kitchen when there was a knock on the door. She opened it to find Patrick standing there.

"I know I'm not being your favorite person at the moment," he said. "But I was wondering if I might be asking for a moment of your time. I'd like to be explaining a few things. I promise, I'll not be trying to convince you to be making your wish. You have me word."

"Make it quick," snapped Piper, some of the anger still in her voice.

Patrick walked into the room and jumped up on the bed. He reached into his coat pocket to pull out his pipe, and then thought better of it. He looked over at Piper.

"Listen, darlin'," he started.

"Wait a minute," said Piper in her most authoritarian voice, "no darling. No sweetheart, no babe, no honey, none of those little terms of endearment. I'm a very happily married woman, thank you."

"As you wish, lass," said Patrick. "I can understand your being a bit put off. What with the Djinn and all. But I can assure you, we Leprechauns are different. Djinn are a mischievous lot. Not evil exactly, mind you. Just prone to very bad taste in practical jokes, you might say.

"We Leprechauns be different. We're here to be doing good, just as you are. You have nothing to worry about with me. I'll not be twisting your wishes for some evil purpose of me own design. And in all honesty, I don't think you've been giving me a fair shake, as they say."

"What's that supposed to mean?" insisted Piper.

"Well now," said Patrick, "let's say there's this innocent who's been injured by a warlock. Then along you come. You announce you're a witch and you're there to help; to put things right. But this innocent won't have nary a thing to do with you claiming witch, warlock, there is no difference. Simply because of your having similar powers. Tell me. Would that be fair to you? How do you think that would make you feel?"

"I guess I wouldn't like it very much," said Piper. "But that's different."

"No, lass, it's not," said Patrick. "In a way, the Djinn and the Leprechaun are somewhat related. Much the same way in which a witch and a warlock are related. Our proverbial innocent is simply lumping both together because they have similar powers. You're doing the same thing. Treating me differently because of what a Djinn did to you."

Piper just looked at Patrick. She had to concede he had a point. How many centuries had witches been persecuted, even murdered, because of peoples' misconceptions of who and what they were. But it wasn't enough to changer her mind.

"Okay," said Piper finally. "I'll agree that maybe I've been a bit harsh. And maybe somewhat narrow-minded. So I'll give you a chance. Prove to me you can be trusted."

Patrick thought for a moment. At least she was willing to discuss it. But the way to prove he was to be trusted was a bit of a sticking point. He finally settled on what he thought would be the best way to do that.

"Well now," he said, "this be bending the rules a wee bit. But I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll give you a demonstration wish. Nothing big or fancy. Just a wee something to prove I'm a man of me word and that I can be trusted."

Piper thought for a moment. It had to be something that, even if he twisted it, it couldn't cause any serious problems. Something that would be relatively harmless. She stood up and walked over to the dresser. She removed a locket on a silver chain from one drawer. The chain was broken into three pieces.

"This belonged to my mother," said Piper. "I've been meaning to get it fixed but just don't seem to get around to it. I want you to fix it for me."

"Gladly, dear . . . lass," said Patrick.

The Leprechaun took the locket and held it in his hand for a moment. Then he opened his hand and handed it to Piper. She looked it over carefully. There was no sign it had ever been broken. It was even polished with all the tarnish removed. Patrick just smiled at her. Piper kept looking the locket over, trying to find anything that would prove she was right. 


	6. Chapter 6

SIX

"Okay," said Piper, finally satisfied nothing was wrong with the locket. "But how do I know you didn't not twist this wish just to gain my confidence?"

"I'm reminded of a story I heard some years ago," said Patrick. "It seems there was this scorpion walking along the bank of a river, looking for some way to the other side. Finally, he comes to a fox sleeping on the bank of the river.

"'Excuse me, Mr. Fox,' says the scorpion. 'Could I be bothering you to carry me across the river on your back to the other side?'

"Now the fox looks at the scorpion for a moment. 'Are you daft?' asks the fox. 'If I carry you on me back, you'll sting me and I'll die.'

"'Oh, no,' says the scorpion. 'If I do that, then I would drown meself."

"Well, now, the fox thinks about it for a minute. Finally he decides that the scorpion is right. So he lets the scorpion climb up on his back. Then he walks to the waters' edge, climbs into the river, and begins to swim to the other side.

"Well now, he gets about halfway across. Right at the deepest point. When suddenly the scorpion strikes out with its tail and stings the fox. Now, the poison begins to fill the fox as he sinks beneath the water. Just before they both sink to their deaths, the fox turns to the scorpion.

"'Are you daft' asks the fox. 'Why would you be doing that? Now, we're both going to die.'

"'I couldn't help it,' replies the scorpion. 'It's in me nature.'

"It's the same with the Djinn, lass. Twisting wishes is in their nature. They can't help it. No matter how insignificant or how minor the wish might be, they can't help but making it come out different from what you be wanting.

"The locket is fixed just as you asked. No tricks, no twisting, no games. It's just the way you want it. That's the way of the Leprechaun. There are some rare exceptions and they are much like the Djinn. Unable to be resisting twisting the wish. But the vast majority of us try to make the wish mortals make come out just as they want them."

"No unforeseen repercussions?" asked Piper.

"Now then, I can't be guaranteeing that," said Patrick smiling. "All magic can be having unforeseen repercussions. I'm sure you're very aware of that your own self. If you wish for a million dollars, I can give you a million dollars. But then, there be taxes to be paying on it. And I'm sure the I.R.S. would be wanting to know where you might be getting such a tidy sum.

"Then there are the multitudes of friends and relatives suddenly appearing on your doorstep that you didn't even know you had. But these would be the normal, mundane type of repercussions associated with instant wealth. There's nothing I can be doing about that.

"Now mind you, if you should wish for a million bucks, instead of a million dollars, I'd be sure to make you clarify your wish. Just so I wouldn't be putting a million deer in your back yard. But I can assure you, making sure I understand your wish as clearly as possible, I'll be doing me best to see that it comes out the way you be wanting it to."

Piper looked at the little man. He seemed to be genuinely sincere and honest. She wanted very much to believe him. But the memory of that genie still caused her some reservations. Just enough to doubt him only slightly.

"I don't know," said Piper. "It still seems like a big risk to be taking."

"Well now," said Patrick, "at least we be making some progress. You're at least willing to entertain the idea. I'm sure with just a wee bit more thought, you'll come to see that I'm right."

"Come on," said Piper. "Let's go back down to the kitchen."

"Sure, lass," said Patrick. "I was wondering if I could be bothering you for a wee bit of something to soothe me parched throat. It's been a long afternoon."

"I'm sure I can find something," said Piper.

"Sure and now you're a wonderful lass," said Patrick as they returned to the kitchen.

Everyone sat in the kitchen talking as they waited for Leo to get back. Piper produced a bottle of wine that Patrick graciously accepted. He sat sipping the wine, though it was clear he would have preferred something a bit stronger. After a few minutes, Leo orbed in

"Ah, your friendly Whitelighter," commented Patrick. "So, lad, have you checked me out all good and proper?"

"Uh, yeah," said Leo.

"So, what did you find out, honey?" asked Piper.

"Well the Elders couldn't tell me much," said Leo. "Technically, they have no authority over Leprechauns. But they did say that the vast majority of those are good. And they didn't have any negative reports on Patrick in particular."

"So," said Phoebe, "nothing to confirm that he's a good guy."

"No, I'm afraid not," said Leo. "But there's nothing to indicate he's evil, either."

"Listen," said Patrick, turning to Piper, "I've proved to you that I'll not be twisting your wish. But there's really no choice in the matter. I can't leave until I reclaim me gold. And I can't reclaim me gold until I grant your wishes. Thems be the rules and I can't be changing them. So, unless you'll be wanting me to hang around here for the rest of your lives, you have no choice but to be trusting me."

"I think he's right," said Cole. "I don't think you have any other choice."

"Piper," said Phoebe, "I was there, too, remember? I know better than anyone what can happen. But Patrick seems sincere and honest. And if it's the only way he can reclaim his gold and leave, I don't think we have much of a choice."

Piper looked around at everyone. They all were looking at her. Paige was obviously all for the idea. Even Phoebe seemed to have accepted the fact that they'd have to make wishes. Although Phoebe was still a bit apprehensive, she didn't think that Patrick was a threat to them.

That left Piper. If she refused, then even if the others made a wish, Patrick would still be unable to reclaim his gold. He'd never be able to leave the manor until she made her wish. She didn't want Patrick hanging around the manor pestering her to make a wish. But she was also not convinced this was a good idea. Everyone sat waiting as she considered the options and alternatives. It was clear they would give her all the time she needed. Even Patrick. 


	7. Chapter 7

SEVEN

Piper thought for several moments. She still felt that Patrick seemed to be genuinely honest and sincere. And she didn't want him hanging around the manor if he could be doing good elsewhere in the world. But the memory of the genie was still fresh in her mind. And the memory of the trouble he had caused was just as clear.

"You promise," said Piper finally, "that you won't twist our wishes in any way?"

"Well now," said Patrick, "in fifteen hundred and twenty eight years I can honestly say I have never had a wish come out differently from what the recipients wanted. You have me word. Whatever wish you make I will do me best to make sure it comes out the way you want."

"Okay," said Piper. "I suppose we really don't have any choice. But you listen to me. If anything goes wrong, and I mean anything, I'll hunt you down and vanquish your sorry butt."

"Piper, please," said Leo.

"No, lad," said Patrick, "can't say as I rightly blame her for the way she feels. But I'm confident she'll be sufficiently pleased with the results. Now then. There are some rules you'll be needing to know. One you already know. I can't use me power to alter free will. Which means I can't make anyone fall in love with you or make anyone do anything they wouldn't normally be willing to do.

"Second, I can't be making any world altering events. I can't bring world peace or wipe out disease or anything of that nature. Third, I can't alter the past or bring back the dead. What's done is done and you can't change the past."

"Yeah, we already know that," said Paige.

"Fine," said Patrick. "I also cannot do something that would normally be likely to occur or that you can practically do for yourself. If you could do it for yourself, there would be no need for a wish. And, finally, you can't be wishing deliberate harm to another person. The wishes are meant to be helping people not be causing harm to another."

Patrick reached into his coat and pulled out his pipe.

"Would you be too terribly upset?" he asked. "It's Leprechaun tobacco. Not a single harmful ingredient and it won't leave an odor on your clothes or in your house. I promise. It helps me think more clearly."

"You're pushing it, bub," said Piper.

"I'll not be asking you anything else," said Patrick. "You have me word."

"Well," said Piper, "I suppose this one time won't hurt."

"That's an understanding lass," said Patrick

He put the pipe in his mouth and it lit as if of its' own accord. He puffed on it and smiled. Piper had to admit that it did have a pleasant aroma. It was a sweet smell and was more akin to an air freshener instead of tobacco.

"Now then," said Patrick. "Which one of you would be going first?"

"Paige," said Piper, "you found the chest. I say you get the honors."

"Sounds fair to me," said Phoebe.

"Okay," said Paige. "Only I'm curious about one thing. What about that whole not for personal gain thing?"

"That doesn't apply here," said Leo. "That applies only to your own powers."

"He's right," said Patrick. "I'm under the same restriction meself. Can't use me power for me own personal gain. However, you are free to accept the magic of the wish any way you want."

"Okay," repeated Paige. She thought for a moment. "Can I ask a question? About the wish."

"Certainly," said Patrick. "Anything I can do to clarify things for you."

"This wish," said Paige, "does it have to be for me? I mean, can I make a wish for someone else?"

"Well now," said Patrick, puffing on the pipe, "that's an interesting question. And one I rarely hear. Other than what I've already told you, there's no restrictions on the wish you make. If it's within me power, I'll grant it for you."

"What do you have in mind, honey?" asked Piper.

"Amanda," said Paige. "Patrick, there's this case I have. It's turning into a real mess."

"Ah, yes," said Patrick. "The little girl whose mother died. And now the grandmother wants to get custody of her. Only the judge won't grant custody unless they can prove the woman is the little girl's blood relative. And you've been having trouble finding that proof."

"How did you know that?" asked Paige.

"It's me magic," said Patrick. "I know what wishes you're considering before you ask. Me magic gives me the necessary information I need to be granting your wish."

"Then why not just go ahead and grant the wish?" asked Phoebe. "Why go through the hassle of asking us?"

"Because, lass," said Patrick, "until you verbalize your wish, their only thoughts in your head. It's not a wish until you tell me what exactly it is you want. Now, darlin'. What would your wish be?"

"I want indisputable proof," said Paige, "that Mrs. Lawrence is Amanda's biological grandmother. Something incontrovertible. Something that no one can dispute."

"Well now," said Patrick, "that's a right good wish. And as I said, a rare one. Totally altruistic, which is something most people never think of. Done, then. Your wish is granted."

Everyone looked around. Nothing in the kitchen had changed.

"Okay," said Paige, "where is it? Where's the proof I need?"

"Now then," said Patrick, "I could be making the proof just magically appear on the table here. But I like to be a bit more subtle. Make the wish appear to be a bit more natural than supernatural.

"What would you do if I just made the proof appear? Take it to the judge? Show him that the woman is indeed the little girls' grandmother? And what would you be telling the judge when he asks you where you got it? That you found the gold of a Leprechaun and he granted you a wish and that's how you came by the proof?"

"He's got a point," said Cole. "I'm sure Judge Carter is going to want to know where the proof came from."

"But the hearing is the first thing in the morning," said Paige. "I need that proof right away."

"Don't be worrying your pretty little head about it," said Patrick. "You'll be getting the proof in plenty of time. Now, one down, two left to go. Who would be making their wish now?"

"Phoebe," said Piper, "why don't you go next?"

Phoebe looked around the room. Patrick just smiled and continued to puff on his pipe. Phoebe thought for a minute, and then settled on her wish. 


	8. Chapter 8

EIGHT

"Well," said Phoebe, "it's too bad we can't wish the Source away. It would solve a lot of our problems and the problems of a lot of other people."

"Well now, darlin'," said Patrick. "If me power could do that there would be no need for me wishes, now would there? Besides, that would be causing harm to another. And there's the whole free will thing. Even demons have free will. Your friend here proves that. If demons didn't have free will, he wouldn't have been able to change from evil to good."

"I know," said Phoebe. "It's just nice to think about."

"We all have to have our dreams, that's for sure," said Patrick.

"Okay," said Phoebe. "I guess I have to wish for something. Well, let's see. With Cole fully human now, it would be nice to spend some quality time alone together. Somewhere far away from demons and magic and everything. Some place where we can relax and enjoy being together."

"Now that's the kind of wish I could go for," said Cole, smiling.

"Ah, yes," said Patrick. "Well, there are so many places you could choose from for your little get away. And I can't be waiting around until you decide to come back. I do have a bit of work that's been piling up.

"I'll tell you what I'm going to do. If memory serves, Belthazor had the ability to shimmer from place to place. With him gone, I'd be a betting that Cole no longer has that ability. So, in order for you to get your wish, I'll be granting him the ability to shimmer twice. Once to get where you want to go and once to bring you back."

"You can do that?" asked Piper.

"Sure," said Patrick. "Now mind you, you'll only be able to do it twice. So don't be a wasting it. Where you go and how long you'll be staying will be completely up to you. Would you be saying that's a fair way of granting your wish?"

"It's perfect," said Cole. "I know a few places that no one will look for us. We can be completely alone."

"Okay," said Phoebe. "It sounds fair to me. Just as long as Cole and I get to go together."

"Done then," said Patrick. "Young man, you now have the ability to shimmer twice. Whenever you're ready, just take the pretty young things' hand and away you'll go. And you'll be able to come back in the same way when you want to."

"We'll have to give it some thought," said Phoebe. "I guess we can leave in the morning. If that's okay with you, honey?"

"Fine by me," said Cole.

"Well now, missy," said Patrick, "that would seem to leave only your wish. You can have some more time if you'd like. Considering everything you've been through and I just sort of popped up out of nowhere, I guess I can't begrudge you some extra time to get your thoughts together."

"No," said Piper, "I don't need any more time. That would just be delaying everything."

"Fine," said Patrick. "So, tell me what your wish is?"

"Well," said Piper, "to be honest, there's really nothing I can think of that I need. I have my husband, two wonderful sisters who are happy, we're all healthy, and at least for the moment, there are no demons attacking. I guess there's really only one thing at this moment that I'd wish for."

"And what would that be?" asked Leo.

"I could wish for a baby," said Piper coyly. "But then, as Patrick said, I can't wish for something that we can do ourselves. So I guess my wish is that Darryl be able to solve his current case. Without any supernatural intervention."

"Ah, your policeman friend," said Patrick, "and the series of arsons that none of the police officers can seem to figure out."

"Yes," said Piper. "It's got everyone stumped. I'd like Darryl to be able to solve the case and arrest the guy. I swear, I think he's actually loosing sleep over this one."

"Well, now," said Patrick, "since he's a policeman, isn't it possible that he could solve this one all by himself?"

"Probably," said Piper, "but after how many more fires? And how many more people get hurt or die? I'm not asking you to solve the case for him. Just arrange it so that he can solve the case himself. Maybe point out a common link or something like that."

"That should be easy enough," said Patrick. "A bit of rearranging of the evidence so that the he gets a clearer picture of what's going on. But arranging for him to arrest the man. Now then, I'm afraid I can't be doing that. Free will and all that. I can't be forcing him to arrest anyone. I can give him the information he needs, but what he does with that information is totally up to him."

"That's good enough," said Piper. "If he gets the information, he'll arrest the guy. That's what he does after all."

"Fine, fine," said Patrick. "Done, then. The next time your friend looks over the case, he will have all the information he needs to solve this case. I should imagine he'll be arresting the culprit very soon after that."

"Thank you," said Piper. "Is that it then?"

"Well there be only one way to find out now, isn't there?" asked Patrick.

Patrick looked at the chest of gold still sitting on the table. He smiled slightly, and then reached for the chest. Without any trouble, he took hold of the chest and slid it across the table to sit in front of him.

"Now, then," said Patrick. "As you can see, I have no trouble reclaiming me gold. Your wishes have been granted and I can be about me business. I can tell you it's been a real experience here."

Patrick didn't seem to be making any effort to leave. As if he was waiting for something to happen. Suddenly the front doorbell rang. Phoebe started to rise from her seat at the table.

"I'll get it," said Phoebe. "With my luck it's someone wanting to give me the Monkey's Hand or something."

"Why don't you be letting this pretty young thing get the door this time," said Patrick, patting Paige on the hand. "I'm feeling it might be for her."

"How could you possibly know that?" asked Paige.

The doorbell rang again.

"Me magic, darlin'," said Patrick. "Now, I'm thinking you should be answering the door before whoever it is decides you're not home and leaves."

Perplexed, Paige got up from the table and headed for the front door. The rest followed her, wondering just what was going on. 


	9. Chapter 9

NINE

"Hello," said a man wearing a United States Naval Officer's uniform at the front door, "I'm sorry to disturb you at this hour. I'm looking for a Miss Paige Matthews. I was told she lives here."

"I'm Paige Matthews," said Paige.

"Do you work for the Bay Area Social Services?" asked the man.

"Yes," said Paige. "I'm a social worker there."

"My mother gave me your address," said the man. "My name is Lieutenant Carl Porter. And I understand you're handling a case for an Amanda Kriegg."

"Yes," said Paige. "Are you connected to the case in some way?"

"You might say that," said Lieutenant Porter. "Amanda is my daughter."

Everyone just stared at the man in amazement. Paige invited him in and they all went into the living room. Paige introduced everyone to Porter, introducing Patrick only as a "friend of the family".

"Well," said Porter, "it's a little complicated. Madelaine, Amanda's mother, and I were involved for a couple of years. But she had trouble accepting the fact that I kept getting sent overseas. A little over five years ago, when I got assigned to an aircraft carrier, she couldn't take it anymore and broke it off. I never heard from her again."

"So how do you know you're Amanda's father?" asked Phoebe.

"Apparently," said Porter, pulling an envelope out of his pocket, "she wrote and told me. She said I at least had a right to know I had a daughter. Unfortunately the letter got lost in the mail system and I never received it."

He handed the letter to Paige.

"A short time back," he continued, "it was found and forwarded to me. That's the first I learned I had a daughter. When my ship got into San Diego, I took leave and came right here to find them. That's when I found out Madelaine had died. My mother lives in San Francisco and when I visited her, she told me about what was going on with Amanda."

"He seems to be telling the truth," said Paige, after reading the letter. "This letter is dated just after Amanda's birth. And it does say that he's Amanda's father."

"Yes," said Porter. "As I said, I only recently received this letter. Anyway, my mother tells me you need proof of her claim to be Amanda's grandmother. As Amanda's father, I'm willing to submit to any test the judge will accept to prove I'm her father. And that my mother is her biological grandmother."

"That shouldn't be hard," said Paige. "A simple DNA test would prove you're Amanda's father."

"She also gave me this," said Porter, pulling another piece of paper out of his pocket and handing it to Paige. "I guess she figured I should have this, too."

Paige looked at the paper and broke out in a big smile.

"It's a birth certificate," she explained to the others. "Listing Mr. Porter as Amanda's father. And it's a certified copy. Not even Judge Carter can argue with this."

"More than that," said Cole. "Amanda's grandmother doesn't have to petition for custody of Amanda. Under the law, if the biological mother dies, custody automatically reverts to the biological father. Once a DNA test proves that he's Amanda's father, he'll be able to walk out of the courtroom with her."

"Are you a lawyer?" asked Porter.

"Kind of," said Cole. "I haven't practiced for a while."

"Cole's right," said Paige. "As the biological father, you get custody automatically. I'll talk to one of the lawyers first thing in the morning. We'll make arrangements for a DNA test. Can you be in court in the morning? To tell the judge what you just told us?"

"Sure," said Porter. "If it means a chance to get custody of my daughter, I'll be there."

"Great," said Paige. "Your mother can make sure you're in the right place at the right time. I'll go into work early tomorrow and make the arrangements with one of the lawyers. Mind if I keep these? The lawyer will want to see them."

"Sure," said Porter. "Just be careful with them. They're all I have left of Madelaine. Besides Amanda, of course."

"Okay," said Paige. "Do you have a car?"

"Yes," said Porter. "My mother let me borrow hers."

"Up for a little ride?" asked Paige. "It's kind of late, but under the circumstances, I don't think Amanda's foster parents will object to a visitor. So, feel up to meeting your daughter?"

"Yes," said Porter, smiling. "Absolutely."

"I'll be back soon," said Paige. She leaned over and kissed Patrick on the cheek. "And thanks. This is more than I ever hoped for."

"My pleasure, darlin'," said Patrick, smiling.

After Paige and Porter had left, Piper looked at Patrick.

"Well now," said Patrick, anticipating her question, "she asked for something incontrovertible. Any piece of paper, no matter how well documented, can be contested. This way, there can be no question who is the wee ones father. Besides, every girl should be having her father around."

Piper kissed Patrick on the cheek.

"It seems I misjudged you, Patrick," said Piper. "I'm sorry about that. And that myopic dwarf comment? I'm sorry about that, too. I should never have said it."

"Well now," said Patrick, removing his square framed spectacles, "I am just a bit myopic. That's why I wear these. And in my day we were called dwarves. It wasn't considered an insult. So from a certain perspective, I suppose I am a myopic dwarf."

"Still," said Piper, "it was wrong of me and I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted, darlin'," said Patrick. "Oh, now I'm the one who's sorry."

"Don't worry about it," said Piper. "I guess I understand that those little terms of endearment are just your way of talking."

"That it is," said Patrick. "And as far as the insult goes, I have to tell you it was really rather bush league, so to speak. You should hear some of the things I've been called. Some I would not be able to repeat in the presence of such pretty young ladies.

"I suppose it's time I should be on me way. Quite a number of people out there that be needing me help, don't you know? And it's been some four years that I've been cooped up here waiting for you to fine me chest."

"Where are you off to?" asked Phoebe.

"It seems there's a young boy in Texas," said Patrick. "Needs some medical treatment which his parents can't afford. I'm thinking it's time that his mother found a small chest of gold in her garden out behind the house."

With that, Patrick went into the kitchen, picked up his chest under one arm, and then tipped an imaginary hat to the girls. Then, smiling, he simply vanished from the kitchen.

"Well, that was one interesting evening," said Phoebe.

"Very," said Piper. "I just hope we don't have any more unwanted guests dropping by to offer us any more wishes."

"I doubt that will be happening any time soon," said Leo. "Leprechauns' almost never visit the same place twice. As a rule, only one wish to a customer."

"Good," said Piper. "I've had all the wishes I can stand for one lifetime."

The End

If you've enjoyed this story, you can find more "Charmed" stories at my website, You can also post your own "Charmed" stories if you like to write fan fiction. 


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